Evidence map›Paper›PMID 22827915›Full record

ArticleBMC neuroscience2012

Developmental trajectory of the endocannabinoid system in human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Leonora E Long, Jonna Lind, Maree Webster, Cynthia Shannon Weickert

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC neuroscience, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 65 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
65citing papers in PubMed
4.1field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

65 citing papers in PubMed, 111 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Adolescents are more sensitive than adults to acute behavioral and cognitive effects of THC.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2022
    Trial
  2. The endocannabinoid system and the ageing brain.Nature reviews. Neuroscience · 2026
    Review
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  9. Research Review: What we have learned about the endocannabinoid system in developmental psychopathology.Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines · 2025
    Review
  10. Prenatal Downregulation of CBThe Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2025
    Article
  11. The Current State of Unapproved Cannabidiol Product Use in Children.The journal of pediatric pharmacology and therapeutics : JPPT : the official journal of PPAG · 2025
    Article
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5 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Leonora E LongSchizophrenia Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia.
Jonna Lind
Maree Webster
Cynthia Shannon Weickert
Karolinska Institutet · SENeuroscience Research Australia · AUSchizophrenia Research Institute · AUStanley Medical Research Institute · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEndocannabinoids provide control over cortical neurotransmission. We investigated the developmental expression of key genes in the endocannabinoid system across human postnatal life and determined whether they correspond to the development of markers for inhibitory interneurons, which shape cortical development. We used microarray with qPCR validation and in situ hybridisation to quantify mRNA for the central endocannabinoid receptor CB(1)R, endocannabinoid synthetic enzymes (DAGLα for 2-arachidonylglycerol [2-AG] and NAPE-PLD for anandamide), and inactivating enzymes (MGL and ABHD6 for 2-AG and FAAH for anandamide) in human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (39 days - 49 years).

resultsCB(1)R mRNA decreases until adulthood, particularly in layer II, after peaking between neonates and toddlers. DAGLα mRNA expression is lowest in early life and adulthood, peaking between school age and young adulthood. MGL expression declines after peaking in infancy, while ABHD6 increases from neonatal age. NAPE-PLD and FAAH expression increase steadily after infancy, peaking in adulthood.

conclusionsStronger endocannabinoid regulation of presynaptic neurotransmission in both supragranular and infragranular cortical layers as indexed through higher CB(1)R mRNA may occur within the first few years of human life. After adolescence, higher mRNA levels of the anandamide synthetic and inactivating enzymes NAPE-PLD and FAAH suggest that a late developmental switch may occur where anandamide is more strongly regulated after adolescence than earlier in life. Thus, expression of key genes in the endocannabinoid system changes with maturation of cortical function.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAmidohydrolasesAnalysis of VarianceChildChild, PreschoolEndocannabinoidsFatty Acid Amide HydrolasesFemaleGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression Regulation, DevelopmentalHumansInfantLipoprotein LipaseMaleMiddle AgedABHD6 protein, humanAmidohydrolasesDAGLA protein, humanEndocannabinoidsFatty Acid Amide HydrolasesLipoprotein LipaseMonoacylglycerol LipasesNapepld protein, ratPhospholipase DReceptor, Cannabinoid, CB1RNA, Messenger

Identifiers

PMID22827915
PMCPMC3464170
OpenAlexW2083598722

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.